Meditation is not just about sitting quietly, it's about transforming the mind.

To live – is that not enough? To love – is that not everything?

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

Like a dream, like an illusion, like a city of gandharvas, that's how birth, and that's how living, that's how dying are taught to be.

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as your capacity to ground your attention in the present moment.

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.

When we develop patience, we find that we develop a reserve of calm and tranquility.

Meditation is not about getting away from it all. It's about getting into it all.

To live is enough.

The quality of every moment depends on the state of our minds.

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

When thoughts arise, recognize them as the display of your own awareness, like recognizing your own children in a crowd.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a mental vacuum but to come to know one's own mind.

The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

The ocean does not reject any water; therefore it is great. The mountain does not select its stones; therefore it is great.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

Mindfulness is being aware of what's going on, not trying to control what's going on.

The Buddha's path is not about becoming somebody different but about becoming more and more who you really are.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

When we understand others, we understand ourselves. When we love others, we love ourselves.

Faith is the firm foundation, diligence the supporting pillar, and wisdom the roof of the house of practice.

When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick. Every time a stick is thrown, you run after it. Instead, be like a lion who, rather than chasing after the stick, turns to face the thrower.

To what shall I compare this life? It is like a boat that left at dawn, leaving no trace.

Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.

The purpose of meditation is not to create a new state of mind, but to recognize what is already present.

In the spring, hundreds of flowers; in autumn, a harvest moon; in the summer, a refreshing breeze; in winter, snow will accompany you. If useless things do not hang in your mind, any season is a good season for you.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.